Monotype Viability Rankings Revamp

Introduction

Monotype is a metagame that's very different from most tiers. Unlike in standard tiers, most types are forced to use Pokémon that are deemed bad compared to others. This includes Pokémon such as Volt Absorb Lanturn on Water and Armaldo as your spinner on Bug when Pokémon like Forretress and Mega Scizor exist. Since people are forced to run lesser used things, new threats are seen and found quite often, such as Perish Song + Sap Sipper Azumarill, which is now a staple on Water stall teams. Monotype's Viability Rankings are also different from those of other tiers. We have a separate ranking for each type, since each type has its own list of viable Pokémon, and it would be confusing and cluttered to rank everything together. It lacks the subranks that are often found in other VRs, because there aren't enough Pokémon in each type to create those, so we only use letters. Because the meta often changes, the VR council has decided to make some radical changes, such as moving multiple A-rank Pokémon down to B-rank, and even an S-rank down to A.

The Revamp

In Monotype, everything is important about a Pokémon. Since each type has a limited number of Pokémon and having a dedicated wall for everything may not be possible, Pokémon that are able to fill multiple roles at once are more valuable in a team. One example would be Mew, which is S rank; it has solid stats with access to Taunt, Will-O-Wisp, Defog, and Stealth Rock, which makes it very versatile as a support Pokémon. However, a Nasty Plot set with Vacuum Wave is just as good because of its ability to check Bisharp. Another example would be Volt Absorb Lanturn on Water. It acts as a special wall with an Electric immunity, as well as a Heal Beller and pivot. Thunder Wave and Toxic give it even more utility. Pokémon with good typing and coverage moves are valuable as well. For example, Gardevoir has an excellent typing, since Psychic / Fairy grants it a neutrality to Dark moves, and STAB Pixalate Hyper Voice allows it to tear through Dark teams. However, STAB moves aren't considered as much as everything else, since every Pokémon has the same STAB, and running too many moves of the same type can leave you unprepared against some matchups. This is how we generally rank Pokémon, so Pokémon in S rank are staples on that type with a huge influence on the metagame, while Pokémon in D Rank are niche and only have one or two certain roles on a team.

Rank Change Analysis

Mega Charizard Y (Flying) S -> A

Charizard @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Solar Beam
- Focus Blast
- Roost / Dragon Pulse

This drop may have surprised some. Regarded by many as Flying's premier Mega Evolution, and it's no wonder why. Drought makes it a terrifying wallbreaker capable of ripping most defensive Pokémon apart. Mega Charizard Y's typing and natural bulk also make it a soft check to Kyurem-B locked into Ice Beam and opposing Mega Charizard Y, which are huge threats to Flying, and Roost allows it to outstall foes. Unfortunately, it does have its flaws, most notably is its crippling 4x weakness to Stealth Rock. Although that is alleviated by Roost and Flying's great Defoggers, it does make it hard to switch in sometimes. Furthermore, using Charizard takes up your Mega slot, when Choice Band Dragonite and Landorus are just as good wallbreakers. You also lose the opportunity to run Mega Gyarados, which is an amazing Pokémon in the current metagame because it's able to beat the ever-common Psychic teams found in Monotype, which Mega Charizard Y does not do as well against. These flaws caused its drop, but it is still a solid A-rank Pokémon.

Volcanion (Water) B -> A

Volcanion @ Choice Specs
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Steam Eruption
- Fire Blast
- Sludge Wave
- Hidden Power Grass

The recently released Volcanion initially was put at B Rank because we did not know how it would impact the metagame. This change comes as somewhat of a surprise because Volcanion has not been in the Monotype metagame for long and its effects are still not completely known. Volcanion is threatening to most balance cores found in Monotype with the chance to burn and the sheer power of Steam Eruption. Choice Specs Fire Blast 2HKOes Cradily and Mega Venusaur, which are two very threatening Pokémon to Water teams. Choice Scarf Volcanion makes Water's matchup against Bug and Grass easier, since they don't have a lot of switch-ins to Fire Blast after Stealth Rock. This also provides Water with an effective check to speedy Grass types, such as Serperior and Breloom. Volcanion is an amazing Pokémon; it patches up a major weakness Water teams have and it threatens most cores in Monotype without needing to set up, making it a great A-rank Pokémon.

Mega Camerupt (Ground) B -> A

Camerupt @ Cameruptite
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 160 HP / 252 SpA / 96 Spe
Rash Nature
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Rock Slide
- Will-O-Wisp

Mega Camerupt, at a glance, doesn't look like something that would be very good, being RU in standard tiering. However, on Ground, Mega Camerupt provides one crucial element that most common Ground teams lack, which is a way to OHKO or 2HKO most Grass-types with a powerful STAB Sheer Force Fire Blast. Also, its status as one of the few Ground-types that have access to Will-O-Wisp to burn physical attackers can make it easier for Hippowdon to take repeated physical attacks so that it sets up Stealth Rock more easily and is preserved for later in the match. Mega Camerupt also provides a solid Mega Charizard Y check with access to accurate powerful Rock moves in Rock Slide and Ancient Power. Mega Camerupt is very good, as it helps patch up the flaws that most Ground teams have while enhancing a Ground team, making it an A- rank Pokémon.

Armaldo (Bug) A-> S Rank

Armaldo @ Assault Vest
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stone Edge
- Rapid Spin
- Knock Off
- Aqua Jet

Tiered PU in standard play, Armaldo is considered to be one of the worst. However, it shines in Monotype as a spinner. Its typing is arguably better than Forretress's, since it grants a neutrality to Fire, which is very threatening to Bug teams. Furthermore, it’s it's not a sitting duck like Forretress. Rock STAB enables it to threaten Zapdos, one of Bug's biggest threats, and its low Speed allows you to keep hazards if you constantly Stealth Rock or spin away Stealth Rock if Armaldo happens to faint to status. Knock Off removes pesky Eviolites and Leftovers, making it easier for its teammates to sweep. Assault vest is also a popular item since it allows Armaldo to tank Mega Charizard Y's Fire Blast in the sun and OHKO it with a Rock STAB move. Armaldo acts as a reliable offensive check to major threats to Bug Monotypes while giving them Stealth Rock / Rapid Spin support. Armaldo helps Bug Monotypes patch up their weakness and is never dead weight, which is why we moved it up from A to S.

Conclusion

The Monotype metagame is constantly changing, but the VR has not had major changes in months. To compensate for the shifting meta, the VR council decided to do a huge rank shift to make the Monotype Viability Rankings an accurate resource for everyone. Thanks to everyone's contributions in the thread, the rank changes were able to be done much quicker. If you want to learn the Monotype metagame, the VR is a great place to start. You just might be surprised about the viability of some Pokémon that would normally be terrible in standard tiers as well as seeing Pokémon that look good on paper but not in practice. So what are you waiting for? Put on your official Pokémon Gym Trainer costume, and head on over here to start building your own Monotype team!